KEXP at Iceland Airwaves, Day 4: Reykjavíkurdætur

Next on the live video stream from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival is Icelandic feminist rap collective Reykjavíkurdætur. Formed in 2013, the name "Reykjavíkurdætur" was a bit of an accident. It was the name of the first song the collective released, and once they were referred to as such, they've embraced the name ever since. the all-women group of 17 rotating members , or "fem cees" rap in Icelandic about things like feminism, politics, and sexual assault. The group is quite large, and while they do sometimes have big group songs, they more commonly perform songs as a solo act or in small groups.

Kex was packed with people eagerly waiting to see Reykjavíkurdætur. What was most striking was the number of young girls brought to see the show by their parents--from toddlers to teens (and lots of adults as well), the empowerment of this kind of group has clearly had a ripple effect in the community.

The whole vibe of Reykjavíkurdætur is hard to nail down, but I'd say it feels like what would happen if you combined The Spice Girls, Peaches, and 2 Live Crew. The topics of their songs are serious (and even some of their sillier songs have a serious underlying message), but they get pop-ey and goofy, and are clearly having a fantastic time.

They opened with their eponymous song "Reykjavíkurdætur," a song that only had a few performers at a time, but the whole crew was involved. Those who weren't rapping or singing were dancing and hyping over the clanging jungle beats and sighs punctuating the verses leading into a catchy sung chorus. Though the music was rather mellow, the rapping was super high-energy, with Steiney Skúladóttir rolling on the floor as Vigdís ósle Howser Harðardóttir spat super fast rhymes.

A real standout was Næes í rassinn, or ("Nice in the Ass"). Sung in english so that the small children present wouldn't be able to understand it, the ubeat shiny song was all about enjoying anal sex. Glitching videogame-esque music played under shiny 90's girl group singing was complimented by synchronized dance moves. Though the song was bright, pop-ey, and goofy, the underlying message was political: first that it's ok for women to like things that are often deemed gross or unladylike, as well as a commentary on how homophobia is related to misogyny.

"D.R.U.S.L.A." was written for Reykjavik's Druslaganga, or "Slut Walk," a feminist march with a focus of fighting sexual violence. Pulsing, dancy beats got the crowd moving as Reykjavíkurdætur rapped about sexual assault, including the line, shouted in english "Don't eat the cake, Anna Mae." A critique of the sexualization of Tina Turner's abuse in Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love."

A fantastic addition to our last day of taping. It'll be fun to see what Reykjavíkurdætur get up to in the future!